Forgotten
by Borrowed Twenties
Summary: When Theresa loses her memory, the team vows to bring it back. However, an encounter with Cronus is never a good thing; still, on a plus side, Theresa finds herself growing closer to this stranger named Jay. JxT, minor AxA
1. To Sail

I really needed to write this. Don't ask me why, there isn't really a proper reason behind it. Well, besides the fact that it has been nagging me consistently in the back of my mind, that is. And this would be, it seems, the first time I myself write in first person about **Class** **of the Titans** fics, if my memory isn't faulty and not counting **Journal Entries**. First off, it was inspired by **Anastasia**, a movie, or rather a song (see my story, **Let the Music Play On**) and also** Becky Sky**, and then finally **The Notebook** by **Nicholas Sparks**. With so many influences, how could I refrain from writing this? Haha. But rest assured I will try my best to get my other fics done, and I won't leave them hanging. Yes. This story will be more of the long-winded kind, instead of cutting it short because I feel like being more detailed now. Alright, without much further ado, I shall begin writing.

**Disclaimer**: I have never claimed to own COTT, and even if I try to buy the rights, I doubt they would be accept a dollar for it. I shall stick to just watching it, then.

**To Sail**

It was undoubtedly morning when I arose. I may not have wanted to get up, but my mind had other ideas. Stirring, I reluctantly crept out of the comforters and into the life of living reality.

The light wasn't even out yet, and neither was the sun. It was entirely dark, either; no, it was just beginning to get bright. Still, I knew that the chances that the others were up with zero to none. Anyway, it would come as no surprise to them - I was an early riser and a late sleeper. I got a lot less sleep than anyone else on the team, but it didn't really matter to me...

...Okay, actually, it did. I yawned, feeling the effects of ungodly-hour sleeping seeping in. I shuffled up to my desk, staring at my plans. Cronus was on every one of the agenda, not surprisingly. He was, I could call him, an enemy. And it wasn't easy to defeat him, either. The sheaf of papers were littered and scattered all over the table, and I made a quick mental note to tidy it up later.

I carefully opened my room door. No one was awake, as I had guessed. I grinned to myself and slipped into the bathroom, carrying the clothes I wanted to change into. An easy advantage of early mornings was that I could avoid the long queues, namely started by my blond-haired, face-loving friend, Neil.

After a quick bath and cleaning up, I returned to my room and I promptly tidied my things. An uncluttered desk would make the mind feel 'cluttered', my mother would always say back at home. In more ways than one, she had rubbed off all her morals on me, whether I wanted to or not.

As you have already guessed, I am Jay, more notably the leader of the seven titans destined to save the world from evil destruction. My friends - Archie, Atlanta, Neil, Theresa, Odie and Herry - would no doubt describe me as, what, methodical? Or perhaps obsessive, though I prefer to know it as hard-working. To them, at times I seemed a little boring, but isn't that the nature of my job? Being the leader has never been an easy task for me. I have of course my doubts - about _myself_, not the team. If I had been a _little_ bit more talented, just like the rest of them, maybe I would be a better leader. They would probably gawk to see that I have such imminient self-doubts that come on so strong. And they do. But as time has gone by I have learnt to accept that I'm not perfect. And neither is anyone else. (A/N: See **With Everything to Fear** when it comes out.) I can say I'm thankful that I've put it behind me now. Alright, maybe not _fully_. But partially, and maybe one day I'll rise with more confidence.

Despite of all this inner troubles, I don't hesitate to say I am privelleged to be with this gang of mine. Never will I trade for anything else. Anyway, these are my best friends. The best you can ever get. Sure, Atlanta and Archie might argu- uhh, _disagree_ on some things, Neil might be wrapped up in his own reflection and Odie in his tech gadgets, and Herry in his food, but still, we are the best team ever. And Theresa - she was the one who seriously kept me sane. For these two years, it had been a rough ride, but she'd been the first I'd turn to and the first to help me out. I'd initially not wanted to start anything with her, but in the end we were now dating.

And make no mistake, I loved her.

It had started with infatuation (I don't believe at love at first sight), then admiration, and finally love. I loved her as much as I did my parents and sister, maybe more. She was beautiful. Beauty was usually the first thing that attracted someone to something, but in the long term it was other attributes. Okay, so I sound technical and practical. But it was true. And she _was_ a beautiful person, both inside and out.

She had proven time and time again to be fiery in both in passion and courage. And although she might not show it often, she was always willing to go the extra mile for her friends, and even willing to sacrifice herself. Throughout the span of two years, she'd grown and matured. So had everyone else.

And in all ways, we were a great, practically inseparable team.

I sat myself down at my desk, looking through my plans. Nothing was really going into my head. There wasn't any reason not to be able to concentrate, but I just felt distracted. Leaning back on my chair, I sighed. The first rays of sunlight were starting to break through the thin film of curtains that loosely shadowed my windows. The others, I could guess, would be up soon. Well, except for Neil, that is. It was always something about beauty sleep, but it was also something I didn't bother to listen to.

I bit my lip. Then I got to my feet with the intention of heading down for breakfast. A slight pinprick of guilt prickled me. I should be doing my work, but I wasn't. Lately I hadn't been all that productive as I used to be. And, according to my friends, I had somewhat learnt to "loosen up". _Yeah, right._

I had plans later, which meant no time for Cronus. But still...

Finally, after a long five minutes' of battling it out with myself, I went downstairs. Athena, the other early riser and second only to me, was already flipping burgers. Seriously, sometimes when she pulled out her long-bladed sword and chopped bread, I could imagine her chopping, but instead of bread, _people_.

I gulped as I saw her slice the bread. It had never failed to get me a little nervous. Just a little nervous.

"What is it going to be, Jay? Toast? Burgers? Sausages? Egg?" Athena asked, tossing sausages, eggs and pancakes (she forgot to mention that) into the air at the same time.

I leaned back and sighed. "How about a couple of sausages and a scrambled egg?" I suggested. Three seconds later, the plate slid across the table to me. "Thanks, Athena," I called above the ruckus of pots and pans, and she nodded briefly.

It must have been the smell of food that lured Herry downstairs. Said friend was down in a jiffy and into the chair beside me. If there was something Herry loved, it was breakfast. And lunch, of course. Not forgetting dinner, too. In general, it would be food that attracted him.

"Athena? Could I please have-" Herry started.

Another plate slid by mine and over to Herry before he had finished speaking. I saw eggs, sausages, pancakes, toast, burgers - so much food, in fact, that I felt a little sick. Of course Athena knew what Herry wanted. Partly it was because she was the goddess of wisdom, and the other half would simply be because Herry wanted _everything_.

Little pieces of egg flew as Herry dug into his food. I preferred to keep my eyes on my own plate. Herry might be my loveable, teddy-hugging friend, but there were some things that were just too scary to look at. I instead looked in the other direction, just in time to see Archie and Atlanta in their PJs, arguing. Somehow that wasn't very surprising. And it was times like this I decided to shut down and avoid getting caught into their argument.

"You took my notes, didn't you?"

"Like real I did! Why would I want your notes?"

"They're _waay_ better than yours!"

"Oh yeah? Well, that's _so_ untrue!"

And the banter went on like that until Athena silenced them with some breakfast. They both ate quietly, but occasionally shot each other death glares. This quarrel, I could tell, would last till dinner. The frequency of such things could always tell one the magnitude and "life-span" of each quarrel. And, for all my amateur skills, I guessed this one would not be any better than the last (of which shook the earth, to say the least).

I grinned behind mouthfuls of food when I saw Theresa emerge. She was already dressed in her normal clothes, and she looked like she had a good sleep. Which was good, considering how we were going sailing later, the plan mentioned earlier. She slid into the seat beside Archie just as Odie came down as well.

"One burger, please, Athena," Theresa said with a smile.

I never ceased to wonder at how snappy Athena was at cooking. A few quick, good flips and patties were done. Then the buns went covering the patty and a burger was done. I could cook, but definitely not as well as Athena. On a random note, I thought about asking her to teach me once this whole Cronus business was over.

Odie asked for the same food as me. No one waited or anticipated Neil's arrival, since he usually got up at ten on Saturdays. After finishing up the last of my sausages, I stood.

"I'll wait for you downstairs, okay?" I said to Theresa, and she gave me a thumbs-up.

And I went upstairs to fetch my sailing gear. Lately I'd actually been going sailing, much to my team's surprise. In addition to that, I've also been taking Theresa along, and sometimes the team, except Archie refused to get onto my boat anytime soon. I was actually 'chilling out', for once. And taking their advice into consideration, I think I felt a lot better. Some people run away from their problems, but I suppose I'm the sort that meet them head-on. And that is supposed to be good, but my friends end up making it out to be a bad thing.

I pulled the backpack up off the table and onto my shoulder. The Cronus plans were calling out to me, but I tried to ignore it. And I had to, because the next second Theresa was in my room, gathering up the Cronus plans and shoving them into the drawer.

"Hey!" I protested, pretending to be offended.

Theresa shrugged loftily, locked the drawer with the key on the table and faced me with an evil grin. "If you don't come with me right now and don't stop thinking about Cronus, you won't be too happy after sailing."

"And why is that so?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow though I already knew.

Theresa gave me a totally innocent smile. The key was instantaneously pocketed into her jeans pocket. "Because you won't see this key again."

I sighed. "Alright, alright, let's go."

Leaving Neil sleeping, Herry and Odie eating and Atlanta and Archie quarreling, we climbed into Theresa's car and drove off to the port.

* * *

I practically hopped into the boat. It was an easy task, since I'd been sailing for almost forever. I knew Theresa would have a little more problem with it, though. So I reached out and carefully helped her on as she clambered unsteadily on board.

In no way was the sea not peaceful today. The aquamarine blue waters danced with a certain calmness, and the waves gently lapped up the shore in an almost therapeutic way. The sky was clear, and a pretty blue. No dark clouds hovering above, which was a good thing in sailing. I smiled as Theresa seated herself.

Then I cast off the boat, essentially releasing it from the bond of the thick rope joining it to the port. There was no point in raising the sails right now; the wind, although soft and soothing on the skin, wasn't blowing the right way. I let the boat drift out awhile aimlessly under the cool temperature. Thankfully, the sun was searing down on us - anyway, we had sunblock on.

I joined Theresa on the deck, sighing. The salty sea breeze was comforting.

"The weather's just nice," Theresa commented. She likewise took in a deep breath of the fresh air, smiling. Although not as fond of waters like I was, she did appreciate nature a lot too.

I nodded silently. There was really no need for words at a moment like this, and we quietly enjoyed the scenery and each other's presence. Nowadays we had evolved to a deeper relationship, one that we could communicate without really using words. Did that make sense? No doubt it didn't sound like it did. But it seemed we had progressed to a closeness where we could understand each other. And I had no question either that Archie and Atlanta had gone somewhere there as well (you could tell from the way they understood each other's glares).

She gently slipped her hand into mine. Again, we spoke none. The boat was drifting out to the wide open sea. To my surprise, there wasn't many boats around today. That could have something to do with the Fashion Parade going on downtown and for that I was glad. You could say it was because Theresa had decided to skip the parade to join me. For that to happen, it would have to be a miracle or that she simply thought that the activity she was doing in place of that was more important. I believed it was the latter, which was the reason of my gratefulness.

In our proximity, it was pretty boat-free. There _were_ boats, of course, but lesser than normal. Usually, on Saturdays, there were tons. It was easy to imagine it was just the two of us, alone, and enjoying the beauty of the ocean.

The wind started to pick up, and in the right direction this time, too. Reluctantly, I knew it was time for me to do a little bit of manoeuvring. If not, we would be just lazing around for the whole day, which on the other hand sounded like a pretty good prospect. Still, there would obviously be no adrenaline at all.

After a long while of hesitation, I stood, releasing the hold on her hand. Theresa looked up at me. For a second, I thought I saw a little bit of sadness for breaking the moment. Then I saw it melt into understanding, and smiling, she got to her feet to help me raise the sails.

The boat began to move more swiftly, as wind speed was starting to pick up. Feeling the wind whip into my face was refreshing. Tilting my face slightly to the left, I observed Theresa. She was grinning and that orange hair of hers was flying behind her. Wavy, long and... Beautiful. Those green eyes were so entrancing; mesmerising, even, and I could get lost in them forever. She was beautiful, and to put it in simple terms, I loved her.

The boat coursed through the water, and not surprisingly, water flew up into our faces at some time, splashing us. Leaning over the edge was great if you wanted to fall into the water, but if I had attempted anything like that, I would be able to see through the clear, sparkling waters and into the coral reefs and shoals of fish swimming close to the sea surface. Not that I actually tried it.

A sudden jerk caused both of us to stumble, but Theresa was the one who almost fell. I grabbed her arm, steadying her.

She continued to hold my hand, probably so she wouldn't lose her balance. "Thanks."

We breezed through the ocean, having a whale of a time. Initially I wondered if I had made the right choice to come and slack while my Cronus plans were beckoning to me back in the dorm, but this seemed like a better idea. Opening up my mind and freeing it from the stress and worry, even if for only a while. Release helped one to clear their mind and come up with improved plans.

Finally, I brought down the sails. An hour had simply gone by just like that; and soon, I would be brought back to _Cronus_. I would be lying to say I was enthusiastic, but then again, a leader's got to do what a leader's got to do.

The winds were dying down anyway - just ten minutes before we would leave. Theresa yawned, settled down beside me and leaned into my embrace. She was soft, and just so beautiful. Need I say more? As she laid her head on my chest, I didn't quite think that there was anything more peaceful than this. Sure, we had our hard times and our quarrels, but in the end, I loved her, and hopefully vice versa. Her eyes, I observed, were closed. She frowned, then opened those emerald eyes of hers.

I blinked. "What is it?" I asked, slightly concerned.

She cocked her head to one side. "Nothing, really," she mused quietly. "I just want to capture this moment before it's over and you go back to your beloved Cronus." She gave a rather sad smile.

Cronus, as anyone could guess, had been the source of many of our arguments, even if I wasn't so "obsessed" with him anymore.

I returned the expression with a wry grin. "Hey, I do it because I have to," I protested calmly. I reached out to take her hand. "If I had a choice, I'd rather be sailing with you - all _day_ long."

She smiled, a genuine one this time, and I smiled back. The atmosphere reverted back to comfortable silence, and unexplainably, I felt drawn towards her. The unseen magnetic force was drawing the both of us together, and inexplicably the distance between us slowly grew to only a few milimetres apart. And then...

My PMR rang.

It was impossible to turn it off, not because there was no silent mode, for there was, but mostly because it would be outright irresponsible. I was the leader, and usually, the first they would send the news of disaster was to me. While it might sound great to just silence the at-times-annoying gadget, I wasn't about to compromise the safety of the world for my own personal enjoyment. Still, there was one really irritating thing about the PMR...

And that was that it had horrible timing.

In a way, it was my friends - _they_ were the ones who called me and it had nothing to do with the PMR's fault. It was just a gadget at that. But of course my friends also had the duty to inform me, so I didn't _quite_ blame them.

I sighed, moving away, and Theresa sighed too. She had a resigned expression on her face - she was pretty used to this, after all - and didn't bother to complain. She turned away for a second, probably to mask her disappointment. After that she came over to look as well.

Archie was on the phone, and in the background I caught a glimpse of Herry heaving a giant off the ground. Immediately, I knew what was happening.

"Theresa, you hold the PMR, I bring the boat back to the shore," I commanded. In a flash I was behind the wheel, steering.

Theresa nodded, took hold of the PMR and watched as Archie began to speak - shout, that is.

"Jay! Theresa! Cronus has kidnapped Mnemosyne, the goddess of memory! We're in the cordoned area in the State Park, would you hurry get here?!" Archie's yell pierced the calm air.

"We'll be there in 5 minutes!" Theresa shouted back at the PMR. To see Atlanta being tossed into a tree behind Archie was disconcerting, to say the least.

I, on the other hand, didn't even bother to open my mouth and talk. I was too busy steering. The engine roared to life as I veered sharply to the right, in the direction of the dock.

"5 minutes?! We don't _have_ 5 minutes! We need you, now!" Archie's despairing voice came loud and clear over the speaker.

I tightened my hold on the wheel, willing the boat to move faster. I was pushing past the speed limits, but I couldn't really care less. I gripped the wheel so tight that my knuckles turned white. Still, the boat seemed like it was trying to irk me, and with painstaking, supposed slowness we edged on.

The minute we reached the dock, I secured the boat. Three seconds later, Theresa's car was already zooming off in the direction of the State Park, with both Theresa and I in it.


	2. To Fall

**To Fall**

"Hurry!" It was automatic, in fact _so_ automatic that I barely heard my own voice. I checked my watch repeatedly - five minutes was over! - and resentfully glared at the cliff.

Never once did Theresa take her eyes off the road before her. "I'm hurrying!" she yelled back, a trace of annoyance tinging her usually calm voice.

I knew that the car was ripping up the road, going at speeds that I wouldn't like to think about at this moment, _and_ we were riding up this precarious cliff (a shortcut to the State Park). But still, I wished I was the one driving. It wasn't that Theresa didn't let me; it was more because of the fact I didn't have a driver's license. Not that I even had time to get one. Even if Theresa was driving at the fastest speed she could manage, I hated not being in control. It irked me all the time - not being able to change the outcome if the outcome needed changing. But right now, I had worse things to think about. My friends, one cliff, and one mad, crazed god.

Where were my plans when I needed them?

I silently berated myself for going sailing. If I hadn't, I would have been in the dorm. I would have been planning away, and I possibly would have made something worthwhile with my time. And when any random god - more likely Hermes - called, I would have been there, ready to go with the team. But the truth was, I hadn't been. I hadn't been there with the team, ready to lead them on.

I had to stop myself from digging myself a hole and drowning myself in it. No, the main focus right now was to get to the State Park, strangle Cronus and save my friends. I had supposedly learnt to accept myself, but it seemed old habits die hard. Anyway, I pushed the annoying, self-degrading thoughts out of my mind and concentrated on constructing plans.

We were reaching the top of the cliff soon, in 3, 2, 1...

Before 1 approached, Theresa and I were out of the car. We didn't even need to open the car doors, for the roof of the car wasn't up, and we just readily hopped out.

To my relief, I saw my friends. Sure, they were panting and tired and Cronus was hovering above them with his scythes, but at least they were still there and alive. No one looked injured, as far as I could tell from a hundred metres or so away. I vaguely heard Theresa's car beep from its locking, but I didn't turn around.

"Nice of you to join us, Jay," Cronus cackled menacingly. The sycthes were in his hands, raised and ready to strike.

Theresa pulled out her nunchucks, and I grabbed my gravitational blade. We were ready for battle.

Archie was grasping his whip, with he flung out at Cronus with the accuracy he always had. I noticed for a fact that his aim had improved tremendously, and that I wasn't supposed to be sizing up their skill at a time like this.

The whip lashed out, and Cronus dodged. Although I had long realised whip-lashing was pretty much futile, just like sword-plunging, nunchuck-swinging and laser-shooting was, I charged at Cronus with my sword.

Cronus was a god, and he could easily recover any injury sustained. I remembered the time Archie had cut off one of his ears, and it just grew back. It was pretty disgusting and discouraging. Still, it helped give us something to do, or distract him with, or to slowly lower his defenses with.

He dodged again, swung his scythe at me and I ducked. He barely missed me, and I saw the blade eerily go by on top of my head as I looked up. I plunged my sword outwards, but he had already retreated.

Odie was currently typing away on his computer. For what reason, though, I didn't know. At the moment, I was busy trying to hold my own.

Herry, on the other hand, was charging towards Cronus. Cronus, who was looking in my direction, was blur enough to miss it. And as a result, he slammed into a tree. Cronus groaned, and, angry, he retaliated. The last I saw of Herry was him disappearing into a bush.

A tall, willowy woman stood by in a corner. She was tall, elegant and beautiful. She, I guessed, was Mnemosyne. I couldn't read her expression, because it was blank.

Atlanta, I suddenly noticed, was edging towards Mnemosyne with Neil. A plan to save the goddess, maybe?

Unfortunately, Cronus noticed that too. With a simple wave of his hand, he sent a bolt of crackling fire in their direction. Atlanta and Neil both fell, not gravely wounded, but it must have hurt.

Archie had gone over to help Atlanta, and Theresa likewise with Neil. With Herry still slowly clambering out of the bush, and Cronus gazing around, eyes roving to find a suitable target, I immediately knew what the answer would be. I mean, it was between Odie and I, and who did Cronus detest more?

There was no question about it - me.

Cronus started advancing in my direction. I backed away slowly. I was biding my time. When you're facing an insane but powerful god, it isn't advisable not to have a plan. I wasn't scared of Cronus, but I was busy trying to formulate a plan. My brain probably wasn't on my side today, for it refused to cough out any workable or brilliant, saving-grace plans. I was being forced to the edge of the cliff, slowly but surely, and time was running out. This wasn't any bit pleasant, and I suddenly wished that my friends would just come over and save me. Like, now.

My feet found the edge of the cliff. I gulped and decided to avoid looking down. I didn't need to have any more problematic fears.

Cronus swung his scythe at me, and I met it with my sword. But in a moment of folly, my hand slipped, and the sword dropped from my hand. To make matters worse, it bounced away, in the direction of Archie, before clattering to the ground. _Not_ helpful. So here I was, defenceless, at the edge of a cliff and facing up against Cronus.

I briefly wondered which would be better - dying by Cronus' hand, or dying from a fall. Neither sounded appealing, and I brought my attention back to reality.

Then two very bad things happened almost simultaneously. First, Cronus readied himself to strike me, and Theresa rushed over with her nunchcks for an attempt at help. Cronus saw it, sidestepped it, and Theresa ended up falling onto me. I thought the situation could still be salvaged, for some magical reason I had caught Theresa and managed to avoid falling off the cliff with her.

Then, the second very bad thing happened. Odie suddenly shouted out, "I just checked here in the State Park information, and it says that the edges of the cliffs are unstable, so whatever you do, don't go there!"

Apparently he hadn't noticed where Theresa and I were. Maybe he was trying to find out geographical objects that we could make use of or something. But right now, I didn't think what he just said was helpful anymore.

_Thanks, Odie, you have great timing - **NOT**._

The rocks were crumbling under my feet; I could feel them. Then they gave way. The only footing support I had had literally vanished into thin air, which was _not_ good. Not good at all. Theresa let out a bloodcurdling scream, and so did I.

Then we both fell off the cliff.

* * *

I was going to die.

No, correction: Theresa and I were going to die together.

The last thought I had as we both plunged down the cliff filled me with impeding dread. I could still see Cronus staring down at us with a self-satisfied smirk on his face. Sure, he'd finished me off - and Theresa too at that. I could also see the rest of the team rushing to the cliff edge. They all looked startled, horrified, disbelieving, wide-eyed at the same time, and I heard Atlanta call our names briefly in a ear-piercing manner as we both fell. I felt regret surging through me - it was all too surreal! I wasn't supposed to be dying here! There was a prophecy - a prophecy for us to fulfill.

Was it going to be all over, just like that?

Just a couple of minutes ago, I was sailing with the love of my life. And now, here I was, sailing _off_ a cliff and ready to die and go to the Elysian Fields.

I could barely concentrate on anything. My mind was numbed with regret, disappointment. I had failed the team. I had failed the gods. I had failed the _world_!

No chance of survival. No sword to drive deep into the cliff wall and save myself. It was all gone.

I swallowed hard. The effects of falling from a great height were stunning. The sky was just high above me, a drifting, pure blue. I stretched out my hand as though I could catch something. The sky seemed so tauntingly near, yet unreachable.

The pressure rung harshly in my ears. It was so painfully piercing that I shut my eyes and winced. I could still move my body, but I felt somewhat weightless (of course in actuality I was not). It was, as said, unreal. I moved my legs slowly but all I felt around me was emptiness and air. It was frightening. Maybe this was what scared Archie when it came to water. He didn't know how to swim, and you could kick desperately, yet feel nothing but the irksome, chilling feeling of coldness and unending depth around you that you couldn't escape from. This was what it felt like.

We continued to fall. I saw the forest nearing us - or rather, us nearing the forest.

The tall pine trees beckoned to us, and we in no way could refuse gravity. The calming forest was ever so peaceful and a lush, calming green. Leaves blocked out all sight of the real ground, and the trees towered high, reaching out for the sunlight.

We were almost at the green. This was it. It was over.

I vaguely heard an evil cry of laughter overhead and loathed it. My heart reached a split-second rush of blinding pain and conflicting emotions.

Then there was a sharp crack. Too numbed to understand, I finally realised my head had hit something sharp - possibly a branch. I tried to scream, but nothing would come out.

It was a fizz of light and spots that danced around my eyes, messing up my already blurry vision. Then the lights went off abruptly, everything went dark and I was submerged into a world of black.

* * *

_Pain_.

The world spun around me as I cracked open one eye. Elegant trees, old and weathered with age, seemed to stretch up to the sky, blocking out traces of the azure blue that had once been. I was right beside the aged trunk, bark peeling off. It was so very tall and there was something about it that was graceful...

I blinked. What in the world was I doing here in the first place, amidst all the quieting nature?

Suddenly, it struck me. I remembered.

The first thought that had jumped into my mind screamed, _"Theresa!"_ It was a silent scream; nevertheless it made me scramble to my feet urgently, with some remnant of dizziness.

I stumbled a little, and quickly grasped ahold of a tree trunk to steady myself. The grass green everywhere was disorientating, and I looked around, desperation starting to take its hold on me. Yet I still could not find Theresa among the leaves and plants.

I traipsed further, walking slowly. Finally, I spotted her - or rather, her beautiful, amber hair was the first thing I saw. It stood out from all the harlequin-coloured surroundings. Forgetting about all the dull ache in my body and the dull throbbing in my head, I hastily reached her and kneeled down.

Theresa lay seemingly lifeless, still, unmoving. My blood ran cold in my body, and I gasped. No, this couldn't be!

"Theresa! Theresa!" I screamed, but I didn't dare to touch her. I didn't want to find out whether she was still alive or not; I was too afraid. If she was injured, it would be best not to move her.

I swallowed hard, seeing no response, and looked above at the sky. How had I even survived? I recalled the thick forrage of trees that blanketed the ground, and I realised that by a long shot I could have landed on oh-so-many branches, hence breaking my fall greatly. In addition, the grass was thick and soft, which could have played a part too. And this luck I had, I came to understand with fear, might not have been with Theresa.

I briefly saw a slight stain of red that lay around her head and knew instantly what it was. Blood. She must have hit her head hard somewhere, but I didn't care about finding out.

"Theresa!" I shouted again, clouded by that sense of looming uselessness.

Then, a miracle happened. She stirred briefly, and I saw the look of confusion slide onto her face the minute she opened her eyes. She groaned and touched her head lightly with a wince.

I almost cried with relief there and then. Leaning over her, I gently kissed the top of her head. "You're - you're going to be okay, I promise," I assured her as much as I could.

This was serious, and I would need to get her to Chiron as soon as possible. Hopefully, the others were already searching for them in the forest - I had no idea how long we had spent here, lying unconscious. If they weren't here, I would have to carry her back, and I was beginning to feel the bruises that lined almost every part of me.

What she said next, though, was something that stunned me so greatly, it took my breath away. I felt the sounds of nature bellowing in my ear, replaying the echoes of what she had uttered. Too frightened, I initially thought she was kidding, but that expression on her face sent the world crashing down around me.

She looked at me blankly, and with a trembling voice, she questioned...

_"Who are you?"_


	3. To Forget

As you probably would have predicted, it would take forever to update the story. My apologies for the long waiting time! Anyway, I would like to welcome **RoguePhoenix2007** to the COTT fanfiction area here (: In addition, happy birthday to **Bella-emerald-eyes!**

Well, now that the author's note is just about over (I am never too 'talkative' with this particular story, I've realised), let me get on with the story. Reviews quite bring the sunshine into any author's life, and I'm not excluded, so make this author happy and I'll shower you with the cyber-COTT cyber-chess cyber-pieces from **The Game Plan** (I've always had a fair amount of interest in them)**.**

**To Forget**

My shoulders shook as I spoke, disbelieving. "What did you say again?" I asked slowly. I refused to believe it.

"Who... Who are you..." Theresa repeated weakly, and her eyes fluttered shut.

I nearly screamed. I wanted her to wake up and tell me it was all a big joke, and all that she had done succeeded in scaring me out of my wits. But she had no response; she merely lay limp on the ground. I longed to pull her into my embrace and have her magically say my name, but I didn't dare to. The pain... It cut through me more than anything could ever have, even more than falling off a cliff.

The chilly breeze blew through the forest, and I shivered. I felt so alone and defenseless, without hope. I was chilled to the bone.

I brought out my PMR, but it had been crushed. I sighed. I didn't know what to do - to carry her away, or not to? No form of communication, nothing. No map, either! Frustration then burned in my insides, and I yelled aloud, angry at the world, angry for our fate -

A sudden rustling of bushes aroused my alertness. I glanced up, frowning. I looked sadly at Theresa and gritted my teeth - I was prepared to fight to the death to protect us and what we used to be.

Then, to my surprise, I heard a familar "Ow! Could you please watch it?" and he suddenly spilled into view.

"Neil?!" I cried out in relief, too happy for words.

Neil's eyes widened, and excitedly he called out into the forest. "Hey, I've found Jay and Theresa!"

Immediately, more rustling of the undergrowth surrounded me, and my friends joined me from all around. They all looked so relieved and thankful that I was alive, and probably thought Theresa was too. Sure, Theresa was alive, but the part of her was essentially dead - her memory.

I sobered at the thought, a downcast expression over my face. They all looked me over, bruises and all, and Atlanta, Herry and Odie enveloped me in a friendly group hug.

The minute they let go, however, their gazes fell on Theresa, and they froze.

Atlanta was the one who spoke first, calmly first, then growing more panicked by the second. "Theresa... Is she okay?"

I didn't know what to say. Speechless, I mutely nodded.

A bigger grin framed Atlanta's face and she gave me a tight hug, of which I could see out of the corner of my eye, Archie was jealous with disapproval. "I'm glad the both of you are alright!"

Again, I just nodded simply, wondering how to tell them all of this. Maybe out of all their relief they failed to realise the stony silence that haloed me. I looked like someone just died.

I finally spoke, and there was silence that followed. Perhaps there was something about me that exuded a sense of seriousness, so much so that they all fell silent. "She's injured," I said, gesturing to Theresa lightly. "We have to take her back to see Chiron now. I think she's lost a lot of blood."

The silence lasted for a while, but Neil effectively broke it.

"But she's okay, right?" Neil asked, without waiting for an answer. Apparently, the sight of Theresa inhaling and exhaling was enough to convince him that she was well and alive. He trudged ahead, not hearing my answer.

I sighed, and softly I mused with some bitterness to myself, "As okay as memory loss can be." With that, I watched as Herry, the strongest of us all, carefully picked up the motionless Theresa and carried her. Then I followed them all, the last of the line.

* * *

As Chiron was treating her wounds, I was the only one who lingered outside the door. I couldn't bear to see them staring at Theresa with glazed, happy eyes, when I knew. I knew everything.

I think Odie could guess something was up. When I was treating myself with the bandages and all, he stayed behind to ask if something was wrong. I just remained silent, and he respected my privacy by not probing further. It's really times like this where I felt so guilty, so terrible...

Suddenly, the door burst open and Atlanta came out, eyes wide with excitement. "Jay, come in! Theresa's awoken!"

My blood turned cold. Frozenly, I made a slow effort through the door. Just the sight of Theresa made me feel sick. She was terribly bruised, her forehead in thick gauze. I wished I could turn back time and change this. I wished I could turn back time and let _me_ be the one who was injured. Most of all, I wished she remembered me.

Of course, it could be my negative side talking. Maybe she was in a slight coma just now and didn't remember who I was. Now that she was awake and well, she would remember me, and I would have worried for nothing. _Maybe_.

Somehow, I felt that things were about to get a lot worse.

I stepped into the room. Indeed, Theresa's eyes were open now, and she was groaning yet again and struggling to sit up. Herry helped her up.

I slowed my steps as I reached her bedside, and I almost felt like turning away now. The expectant looks on everyone's faces as Theresa looked up at us... I swallowed hard, the harsh memory of her words coming back to me. I saw that look of gratefulness on her face fade into one of confusion, and I knew it was coming.

"Thanks for saving me, but who are you guys?" Theresa questioned, smiling that sweet smile - only she wasn't who she was anymore. She had forgotten everything - us, love, me.

I shut my eyes. Shock had slapped disbelieving expressions onto each and everyone of my friends, and they would notice I didn't seem surprised. I bit back a sudden rush of guilt, regret and too many emotions.

"You're kidding, right?" Herry laughed nervously.

The clueless look on Theresa's face told him otherwise - no, it told _us_ otherwise.

Archie turned to me, perhaps ready to comfort me. Then he realised it. "Jay, you - you knew about this already? You did, didn't you?! That's why you were so quiet... Why didn't you say anything about it?!"

_Because I didn't know how to._

_Because it hurts me just as much as it hurts you._

_Because I don't want to accept it._

_Because I don't want to believe it._

So many possible answers swept into my head like a hurricane almost instantaneously, and they were all valid reasons.

"Because I couldn't," I whispered instead, devoid of rationality. It summed up all my answers in a very vague way.

Archie opened his mouth angrily, then shut it abruptly, turning away. I guessed that although he claimed Theresa was nothing but an annoying Drama queen, he was also affected by this. They were, after all, quite close friends once they put their arguments and differences aside. He was upset that his own leader - me - had withheld this important piece of information from the rest of the team. Yet, as he turned away, I caught a glimpse of his expression, and I think for once he had thought through what exactly had kept me from telling my friends the truth, and he somewhat could imagine my difficulty.

Odie finally spoke up. "Jay, we deserved to know."

Herry came up to me and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. He continued for Odie. "But it's alright, Jay, we understand."

I sighed, and it was all I could do. I knew not how to speak, or maybe because I didn't know what to say that could make anything better. Atlanta's shoulders were shaking as she looked at Theresa, her backs facing us. I could tell she was crying. Archie had stalked away to a corner of the room, perhaps pretending not to care. Herry and Odie looked pained, and I could see the gathering of the tears in their eyes.

Neil had swallowed uneasily, shooting occasional glances at Theresa as though he couldn't believe it. I felt like going up to him and nodding at what he was doing, at the same time telling him, _"I can't believe it either."_ But I didn't.

"Uh, would anyone tell me what's going on?" Theresa's beautiful voice pierced the tension-filled atmosphere.

I looked up, wide-eyed. It almost seemed like she was back to normal now. However, as she stared at us, her gaze jumping from each of us and finally coming to settle on me, it brought me back to reality. She remembered nothing of us, and possibly nothing of the gods and Cronus as well. The innocent lilt in her voice reminded me of what she used to be, only her voice now sounded too innocent. It contained traces of naivety in it, and it would have, rightly so, if she had forgotten about Cronus, the deaths, the cruelty we had all witnessed that had almost pushed us all into a jaded mindset.

I broke down. I hadn't wanted them to see their supposedly strong leader cry, but I couldn't hold it back. The minute they saw me cry, the thin line stopping them snapped too, and soon we were all crying. Theresa stared on at this spectacle of sorts, confused.

Night had fallen fast tonight, faster than it seemed to usually. At this second, Hera appeared at the door. She was, as she was always, stately, poised and regal. This time, though, I detected a slight trace of something in her, and she looked more tired than she had ever shown herself to be.

"It's already nighttime," Hera spoke, troubled. If not for the thickness in the air, Neil would have probably mentioned that she was stating the obvious.

I cast a short glance at Neil, who for once hadn't pulled a wisecrack. Then I gave Hera my fullest attention again. Somehow, I wondered deep down inside me whether she had some remedy.

"I want all of you to return to the dorm."

I gaped, slack-jawed. I was sure my friends mirrored my expression. Theresa was lying here without any memory, and Hera wanted us to go _home_?

I clenched my jaw bitterly. The brownstone wasn't even home without Theresa!

Apparently, Atlanta was already onto my train of thought, or at least something similar to it, for she immediately replied indignantly, "But we can't leave Theresa here, all alone! She's our friend, and -"

Hera raised a hand commandingly, and Atlanta fell into silence. "There is nothing you can do here," she answered sharply. I had a feeling it came out sharper than she intended, for I could see the telltale sign of a wince that followed straight after.

"Excuse me, Ms Hera, but I think there is," Neil said suddenly. Everyone turned to look at him in surprise, like he was the last person on Earth we thought he would actually speak up - because, well, he was. Seeing everyone's stares, he frowned. "What?" he asked.

Nobody bothered to answer his question.

Neil continued quickly. "If we stay here, there is a chance Theresa might just remember everything and us," he tried pathetically.

Hera shook her head dismissively. "No, all of you can't stay here, the seven of you are crowding her. The gods will need to talk to her and see what can be done for her memory."

I bit my lip. "If seven of us are too much, can - can one of us stay?" I swallowed hard, bearing all of my friends' attention.

The tall goddess frowned as if in thought. She was perturbed. "Jay, I would really love to have any of you stay, but she doesn't remember any of you, and she would be considerably uncomfortable with a stranger."

I ambled unconsciously to Theresa's side, the thought strange and haunting to me - _Theresa, uncomfortable with me?_ My beautiful girlfriend was watching this exchange with fascination and perplexity.

"No, she wouldn't!" Herry protested. "I mean, she's Theresa. Theresa would never be uncomfortable with any of us." He looked hurt; the possibility of Theresa being uncomfortable with her best friends couldn't even have been imagined until now. I realised with resignation that Hera had a point.

"Anyway, what makes her think that Theresa would be any more comfortable with a bunch of oldies," I heard Archie mutter to Atlanta.

If Hera heard it, she showed no evidence of it. She crossed her arms, signifying a certain finality to it. "My decision is final," the queen of the gods declared firmly. "All of you have to go back to the brownstone now. You can visit her tomorrow, or if we happen to have any news of Theresa, we will inform you."

She gently ushered us out and closed the door behind her.

I felt lost and detached as I followed my friends in a daze. I barely heard Archie grumbling under his breath, or felt the solemnity of it all.

All I knew was that I wanted Theresa.

* * *

By the time we reached home, it was quite dark. Apparently, Athena had heard from Hera beforehand that Theresa had lost her memory. She didn't even ask us about the battle with Cronus, which I frankly had initally forgotten about, and later decided not to care.

No one spoke during dinner, except when asking to pass the salt and pepper. It was a cold day, unsurprisingly, and after dinner, I felt thoroughly sick. The thought of leaving Theresa in the school, all alone, was terrible. The weather was rather chilly; would the gods even look after her well? I hadn't recalled seeing a blanket for Theresa.

As I stood, I tightened my grip on the table, as though I depended on the wooden structure to stand. My teammates' eyes were all upon me again. They probably were worried at how I was taking this all, and I had been abnormally quiet tonight, even quieter than I usually could be.

"I'm - I'm going to my room," I said aloud. It came out sounding lame and made me sound like I needed to account for my disappearance from the table.

Before anyone could say anything, I had already left and was clambering up the stairs.

* * *

The doorknob felt cool to the touch as my hand rested upon it. It felt different somehow. I swung the door open hesitantly and walked into my room. Everything was just how I left it before I went sailing with Theresa.

I sat myself down at the desk, unsure of what to do next. My pen lay on the table, uncapped. I reached out for my plans consciously, and realised they weren't there. They were in my drawer. I chuckled inwardly at the memory of Theresa whisking away the key until I remembered that she never did give it back.

I sighed. There was really no use immersing myself in my work, now that I didn't have the key. I would have to ask it from her tomorrow. Since there was nothing to do, I decided to head up to the rooftop for no apparent reason.

It was a quiet night, too. I could hear the distant sounds of metallic clangs, telling me my friends were still silently at dinner. I headed for the rooftop, opening the door in full force.

The strong wind tackled me, and I shivered. I closed the door so the draft wouldn't get in, and proceeded to the very edge of the rooftop. My telescope was still in my room - the one Hermes had given me - and I hadn't felt the need to bring it out. It would have felt so empty to look through it and see the stars without Theresa. She always accompanied me during my star-gazing.

I gazed up at the sky. It was somewhat misty tonight, but still the stars shone. The light penetrated through the mist, strong, unfailing but weakened. Was this what Theresa and I would be reduced to? A weakened relationship where she never really came back to her real self?

I heard the door open from behind me, and I didn't bother to look. For a split second, I imagined Theresa walking through it, laughing at me for my worry. She would be alright, I would be alright, our relationship would be alright, and it would just have been a big, bad nightmare.

But it wasn't.

I continued to gaze up at the stars until I heard a voice.

"Hey, man, are you alright?" Odie said, concerned. He came to join me.

I shrugged. "I'm not sure," I said frankly. Raising my eyebrow and taking another route in this conversation, I started, "How did you know I was up here?"

Now was Odie's turn to shrug. "You left your room door open, and you usually spend a lot of time here with Theres-" Odie halted halfway, his face displaying his uncertainty of whether he could say her name in front of me. "Well, anyway, it was easy to guess."

I smiled. At least my friends knew me well; I wasn't alone. An out-of-the-blue thought entered my mind and I squeezed my eyes shut. No, _I _wasn't alone, but Theresa was.

"Odie, do you think she'll be alright?" I tried after a long while. There was really nothing else to say.

Odie seemed to be taken by surprise. He pushed up his spectacles, unsure of himself. It took him awhile to answer. "I - I don't know," he truthfully responded. "Physically, she will definitely recover. But her memory might not - might not come back." His voice fell to an almost hush. "I'm sorry, Jay. We all didn't want this to happen."

I nodded gravely. "Is there really no way?" The question that I had been meaning to ask Chiron slipped out without much inhibition on my part. I knew I was putting Odie in a spot by making him voice out the harsh reality that might happen, but I wouldn't know about these things, while Odie would.

Odie again looked uncomfortable. "There isn't really a _'way'_, Jay. It's more of if she accidentally comes to remember, or anything."

What was this guilt I felt churning inside me? I couldn't help myself. "Odie, is it all my fault?" I burst out. The aggravation was evident in my voice to him. Without waiting for a reply, I followed up instantly. "It was. It was all my fault. I didn't protect her, didn't save her, didn't help her! It should be me forgetting all of this, not her. She shouldn't have to be the one to suffer!"

I found my head in my hands, a feeling of shame. I couldn't even protect the woman I loved! Losing her memory was worse than losing her to death. She was going to be in such a lonely world - and because of me, too!

Odie looked distraught. "No, Jay!" He crossed his arms. "If there's one thing I know, it didn't have anything to do with you. It wasn't your fault! And trust me, Theresa's going to be alright."

I glanced up at his face, and I knew mine reflected disbelief. "How do you know?"

Odie swallowed thickly, eyebrows knitted together. "Because I just do. Theresa's a fighter, our resident psychic. She can pull through this, I know she can."

My face fell into a half-smile at Odie's trust. "You're right," I admitted. My eyes brightened slightly at the remembrance of Theresa, our fighter. "She won't go down without a fight."

Odie smiled too, though it was more of a sad one. "She'll make it. Now, Jay, you better get some sleep now. Tomorrow, first thing in the morning, we are so going to visit her and check on how she's doing."

I gave him a barely perceptible nod as we both exited the roof, hoping for a better tomorrow.


End file.
